Obama has a friend in La.

DENVER -- It wouldn't be a stretch to say that state Rep. Karen Carter Peterson's association with Barack Obama dates back to the dawn of his presidential aspirations.

While attending the Democratic National Convention in Boston four years ago, Peterson accepted an invitation from a distant relative-by-marriage, Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, to attend a party.

It just so happened that the gathering was scheduled for right after Obama's soaring keynote speech. It turned out that Jones was Obama's mentor, his political godfather, in the Senate. So on the same night the country met its newest political star on television, Peterson got to meet him in person.

Four years later, Peterson, House speaker pro tem, is probably the closest thing Obama has to a point person in Louisiana. And Peterson is spending part of her days at this year's Democratic convention in what amounts to surrogate school, learning how best to sell the Obama campaign.

So what's she learning?

"We're talking about foreign policy and the war, " she, said, "and his positions, so that we don't talk about our positions."

But while Peterson has already warned her law firm that she'll be hitting the road for Obama, if asked, her major duty is helping shape the long-shot effort to put Louisiana in Obama's column come November.

Peterson "lobbied heavily" to get 22-year-old David Huynh hired as Obama's state director. He worked on her failed congressional campaign in 2006 and managed her ally Cheryl Gray's successful state Senate campaign last year. His tender age gave the Obama people pause, but Peterson vouched for his skill at grassroots campaigning, which she sees as the Obama camp's greatest need.

"Everybody knows it's an uphill battle, " she said. "My argument is that it's a field race. We have specific constituencies we need to focus on, particularly Hillary (Clinton) supporters and other Democrats who didn't support Barack in the primary."

Given poll numbers showing John McCain with a healthy lead in Louisiana, Peterson doesn't expect the candidate himself to spend much, if any, time on the ground. The plan, she said, is to rely on help from supporters who speak the targeted voters' language, to have them make the argument that Obama shares Louisianians' concerns on issues such as the recovery and the economy.

"We're going to bring in surrogates who they're familiar with. The question is, who do we bring in? I think we need to be selective, " she said. "We know our state. We know who we need to get a message to, and what kind of message. It should be much more moderate. Obviously we haven't gone Democratic since Clinton."

In fact, Bill Clinton's electoral success in the state in 1992 and 1996 suggests exactly where Peterson would like to start. Others may worry that Clinton might not make the most disciplined, reliable advocate for Obama, but Peterson thinks he'd do much more good than harm.

"It would certainly be great, " she said, "to have the former president come down to Louisiana to campaign."

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Stephanie Grace is a staff writer. She may be reached at 504.826.3383 or at sgrace@timespicayune.com.